Refrigeration apparatus



P 1948= v. v TORBENSEN 2,449,343

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Feb. 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. [7253 0 1 Erie/van Sept. 14, 1948. v. v. TORBENSEN 2,449,343

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Feb. 12 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F76. 4 A H6; 3 /E I INVENTOR.

W 41 4AM Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT orrica REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,545

This invention relates to mechanical refrigeration apparatus, and more particularly to an improvedconstruction for the 'evapo'rators of such apparatus.

While not limited thereto, my improvements are intended especially for' embodiment in the type of refrigerator consisting of an open top insulated cabinet or easing, desirably cylindrical, equipped with; an insulated top closure or cover, and enclosing a deep vessel that 'provides the refrigerating space and is surrounded by the evaporator unit. In refrigerators of this'type very low temperatures are maintained for socalled frosted food storage.

The principal object of my invention is to pro- 1 Claims. (CI. .62-98) vide an evaporator construction that is especially suitable for incorporation in refrigerators of the above described type; thatvis relatively simple and inexpensive; that is well adapted to production methods, and by the use of which the maximumefllciency of the refrigerant is realized.

The high degree of efiiciency is obtained by using only a single wall or thickness of asuitable heat conducting material between the refrigerating space and the passage through which the refrigerant is circulated and within which it is evaporated. Such-wall preferably consists of sheet metal of appropriate character --and thickness to provide the maximum rate of heat exchange andthe requisite physical strength.

Other objects will appear'as I proceed to-udescribe the inventionby reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a fragmentary side elevation of a refrigeration apparatus -lncorporating my improvements, the upper-portion of the cabinet or "casing-and a part of the evaporator and the vessel that encloses the refrigerating space being in-central section, while other parts-are broken away forwardly of the plane of section in order tobetter' illustrate the construction: Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, partly in. section; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the evaporator on an exaggerated scale: and Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of one ofIthe-illler rings that are applied to the opposite ends of the evaporator coil.

A wall designated l, desirablycylindrical," surrounds the refrigerating space S. This wall is of a" material of high thermal conductivity, preferably thin sheet metal of such character as will insure rapid heat penetration-mid the necessary physical strength. To the'outer side of the wall I is applied a member 2, between which'"and the wall I is enclosed a spaceor passage JR. through which the refrigerant is circulated, as 68 will hereinafter more fuliy'app'eari 2 According to the present preferred construction, the member 2 consists of a continuous strip of thin metal that is L-shaped in cross section. or. more broadly stated, is of a trough-like formation, and it is arranged spirally about the wall I with one of its edges in contact with said wall. and its other edge engaged with the medial portion or angle of the adjacent convolution of said member. The adioining convolutions may be welded together continuously or at intervals. As appears in Fig. 3, the flanges of the angle strip that forms the member 2 are Joined by a curved portion, and the edge of the flange engazed therewith is shown as beveled to correspond approximately to the radius of said curved portion. The open side of the bottom convolution of the member 2 is closed by a strip 3, the

terminal portion of which forms the end wall of said convolution, as shown in dotted lines in 10 Fig. 1.

The member 2. after being rolled or otherwise I treated to give it its angle or trough-like formation, may be wound tightly about the wall I while the latter is firmly supported on a collapsible mandrel orother suitable support. On .the

other hand, the member 2 may be preformed into spiral shape, at the same time, or after, it is given its angle or trough-like formation, and applied endwise to the wall I.

A band III of steel or'other suitable metal, of appropriate width and thickness. is wound spirally about the member 2, and its adjacent con- .volutions are connected'together by welding, as indicated at U. The ends of the wall tare in the wall I and band iii, are filler rings i2, preferably of'plastic. One of such rings is shownin perspective in Fig.1, and the annular face I! thereof that is intended for engagement with the member 2 is shaped to fit the end of the member. Applied to the bottom of the above described structure is a shallow pan-like part including a circular bottom wall I! and a peripheral flange II, the latter encircling the lower. end of said structure and being suitablyconnected, as by welding, to the band l0. Similarly appliedto the top of the structure is a ring-like part including 'an annular wall i1, and aperipheral flange ll that fits over the adjacentend of the band II and is welded or otherwise attached thereto.

fi' Piilll-Wl of the refrigerating apparatus and planes normal to the longitudinal axis of said- -The unit thus constructed constitutes the' ,suitable construction and material. ple, it may consist of a shell 28 of sheet metal,

only by the relatively thin wall I. This unit, inthe present embodiment, is situated centrally within a casing or cabinet comprising a cylindrical wall 20, which may be made of sheet metal, and an annular top wall 2i of similar material and which merges, through a curved portion 22,

- into a cylindrical skirt 28 that joins the top of the cylindrical wall 20 in the plane thereof and is connected to said wall, as by welding. De-

pending from the inner edge of the top wall 2| and joining the corresponding edge of the previously mentioned wall I! is a collar 26, convergent for a distance downwardly from its'upper end, and within which fits a cover 26, equipped with a handle 21. The cover may be of any and a filling 29 of suitable insulating material. Following the usual refrigerator practice, the space between the evaporator unit and the casing is filled with insulating material 30.

The compressor and other customary parts of the refrigerating apparatus are desirably housed within a chamber in the lower-part of the cabinet or casing, such being omitted from the drawings as they constitute no part of the present invention. The refrigerant and in gaseous form withdrawn from, the'refrigerant space or passage R through pipes 33 and.

34. The pipe 38 is connected to the end wall of the top convolution of the member 2, as best shown in Fig. 2, while the pipe 34 is connected to the end wall of the bottom convolution, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Said pipes enter the space occupied by the member 2 through notches in the band i and in the flanges i6 and It. i Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In refrigeration apparatus, an evaporator including a wall made of efficient heat conducting material and arranged with one of its sides exposed to the refrigerating space of the apparatus, a device disposed in such relation to the opposite wall made of material readily pervious to heat and surrounding the refrigerating space of the apparatus, a member engaged spirally about said wall, said member consisting of a strip that is an gular in cross section and is arranged with one of its edges in contact with said wall and its opposite edge in engagement with the angle or the adjacent convolution of said strip, a spirally wound reinforcing element tightly encircling said member in firm contact with the side thereof remote from said wall, the spiral passageway provided between the member and said wall constituting a refrigerant circulating space that is separated i'rom the refrigerating space solely by said wall. and means providing arefrigerant circuit of which said circulating space forms a part.

3. In refrigeration apparatus, a relatively thin wall made of material readily pervious to heat in liquid form is delivered to,

' and surrounding the refrigerating space of the V apparatus. and a memberengaged spirally about said wall, said member consisting of a trough-like strip that is arranged with one of its edges in contact with said wall and its opposite edge in engagement with the longitudinal medial portion of Y the adjacent convolution of the strip, an element For examapplied to each end of said member the side of which adjacent said member is a counterpart of the end convolution thereof while its opposite side is in a plane normal to the axis of the aforesaid wall.

4. In refrigeration apparatus, a relatively thin cylindrical wall enclosing the refrigerating space of the apparatus, a member engaged spirally about said wall, said member consisting of a trough like strip of material arranged with. one of its edges in contact with said wall and its opposite edge in engagement with a longitudinal medial portion of the adjacent convolution of the strip, a filler ring applied to each end of said member the side of which adjacent said member is a counterpart of the end convolution of the member while its opposite side is in a plane normal to the axis of said cylindrical wall and is substantially flush with the adjacent end of the wall, a reinforcing band wrapped spirally about the member, adjacent convolutions of the band being connected together, the reinforcing band terminating at each end in the plane of the adjacent end of the cylindrical wall, the spiral passageway provided between the aforesaid member and said cylindrical wall constituting a refrigerant circulating space that is separated from the refrigerating space solely by said wall, and means providing a refrigerant circuit including said airculating space.

5. In refrigeration apparatus, a relatively thin cylindrical wall surrounding the refrigerating space of the apparatus, a member engaged spirally about said wall, said member consisting of a strip of-material that is angular in cross section and is arranged with one of its edges in contact with said wall and its opposite edge in engagement with the angle of the adjacent convolution of the strip, the exterior of said angle being convexedly curved and the edge engaged therewith being beveled to correspond approximately with the contour of the angle, said edge and the contiguous part of the adjacent convolution being welded together, a reinforcing band extending spirally about said member, the adjoining convolutions of which band are welded together. the ends of said cylindrical wall and band terminating in a common plane normal to the axis of said wall and beyond the ends of the aforesaid member, a filter ring engaged with the ends of said member and the side of which adjacent the member is a counterpart of said end while the opposite side of said filler ring is in substantially the aforesaid plane; a bottom wall having an upstanding peripheral flange telescoped over the lower end of said reinforcing band and attached thereto, an annular top wall applied to the opposite end of said reinforcing band and having a depending peripheral flange surrounding the upper end of said band and connected thereto, the spiral passageway provided between the aforesaid member and said cylindrical wall constituting a refrigerant circulating space, and means providing a refrigerant circuit including said circulating space.

6. In refrigeration apparatus, a relatively deep, thin-walled cylindrical vessel enclosing the refrigerating space of the apparatus, a member engaged spirally about the peripheral wall of said vessel, said memberconsisting of a trough-like strip of material-arranged with one of its edges in contact with said. wall and its opposite edge in engagement with the longitudinal medial portion of the adjacent convolution of the strip, a reinforcing element closely embracing said member in firm contact with the side thereof remote from said wall. thespiralpassageway provided between the aforesaid member and said peripheral wall constituting a refrigerant circulating space, means providing a refrigerant circuit including said circulating space, an open top casing surrounding and spaced from the foregoing parts, insulating material filling the space between the casing and said parts',.and an insulated closure for, the open top of the casing.

7. In refrigeration apparatus, a relatively thin cylindrical wall surrounding the refrigerating space of the apparatus, a member engaged spi rally about said wall, said member consisting of a strip of material that is angular in cross section and is arrangedwith one of its edges in contact with said wall and its opposite edge in engagement with the angle of the adjacent convolution of the strip, the exterior of said angle being convexedly curved and the edge engaged therewith being beveled to correspond approximately with the contour of the angle, said edge and the contiguous part of the adjacent convolution being welded together, a reinforcing band extending spirally about said member, the adjoining convolutions of which band are welded together, the ends of said, cylindrical walland'bandterminating in a common plane normal to theaxis of said wall and beyond the ends of the aforesaid member, a filler ring engaged with the endsof said member and the side of which adjacent the member is a counterpart of said end while the opposite side of said filler ring is in substantially the aforesaid plane,

a bottom wall having an upstanding peripheral flange telescoped over the lower end of said reinforcing band and attached thereto, an annular top wall applied to the opposite end of said reinforcing band and having a depending peripheral flange surrounding the upper end of said band and connected thereto, the spiral passageway provided between the aforesaid member and said cylindrical wall constituting a refrigerant circulating space, means providing arefrigerant circuit including said circulating space, an open top casing surrounding and spaced from the'foregoing parts, insulating material filling the space between the casing and said parts, and an insulated closure for the open top of the casing.

' VIGGO V. TORBENSEN,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Ma 12, 1938" 

